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In case there weren’t enough mobile security apps in Google Play already, Verizon released a self-branded device scanner and tracker of their own. The app combines software from McAfee and Asurion to keep your phone as safe as possible. With the ability to do full device scans, mobile tracking, and website checking, it’s not a bad app if you spend time on shady sites or download lots of 3rd party applications.

The app comes with two versions – free and paid. For $1.99/month you get the addition mobile wipe feature and GPS tracking. If you’re looking for an app that does all of this for free, you can always check out Lookout or another big name in mobile security on Google Play.

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They are kidding right!!!! Windows Phone 7.5 offers the ability to find your lost phone, the iPhone does as well so why the hell should you have to pay $2 a month for find my phone crap. Maybe $5 a year if that but it should be FREE.

eddy

Good try Verizon, but no thanks.

cooksta32676

What’s the app that sends you the phone’s GPS position and snaps forward facing pics and emails them to you?

CHRIS42060

Whew and I was afraid Verizon would have the same old bloat installed on my next new phone. I’m so glad Verizon has delivered…… more bloat and greed.

Daniel Maginnis

Anyone that pays for asurion insurance can use heir app for free w/ wipe/lock/tracking.

I like it. I mainly got it for the mobile wipe feature and it’s only a $1 a month if you are a total equipment protection subscriber.

Nikolai197

I know it’s immature, but did they really have to take the image at 69%? Was that supposed to be a joke?

Bret

I’m getting so sick of watching Verizon try to keep draining their consumers of every dime they have its getting ridiculous they’ve taken away the upgrades basically for all the people with unlimited data plans. The only way you get the upgrade prices is if you basically forfeit your unlimited data their accessories are outrageous price in the store and they’ve recently lost the battle of trying to get people to pay for their hot spot usage which is a free feature in every other country and now they try putting this bs app out

Superdroid

Revenue hungry VZ, get real. I am sure a lot of subscribers are unaware of the free choices and get sold by VZ sales people.

Chris Hollenbeck

Does Verizon even look at the Google Play store before launching apps?

Kyle Miller

FOH VZW!

Bionic_Pags

Does anyone besides myself still use the Mobile Recovery App from Asurion? It’s free with the total equipment coverage… Just curious…

btod

I certainly do. I use the “sound the alarm” feature on a regular basis because I always lose my phone under the bed, couch or other random place. Don’t see the need for this app though…

Bionic_Pags

Agreed, it’s free and works great… definitely no need for this VZW garbage

Wouldn’t be surprised if vz put tethering apps on the malware definitions, or anything else they don’t like.

flosserelli

Or pure junk to ensure the scanner finds “malware” to justify its existence and the extra $2/month.

ToddLower

If you are remotely serious about your phone’s security I would check out Cerebus, especially if you’re rooted. It’s not free, but a one time fee compared to $2 a month Big Red wants to suck out of you.

One of my favorite features is if someone tries to guess my lock pattern it will flash a blank white screen for a split second, take a picture, then send the pic to my email.

It also does all the normal tracking, device wiping, etc. You can control it via the website or send your phone text messages from another device.

I could see VZW Stores stealing phones and/or installing malware onto them to aid in marketing and selling a “need” for their new security app. Kindof reminds me of this story from DC where a pizza shop had iPhone thieves steal phones from drunk customers outside, then would resell them using the shop as a front for the operation. One person even went into the pizza place to call 911 after his phone had been stolen, and was lent his own phone to make the call. http://dcist.com/2012/07/pepperoni_mushrooms_and_an_iphone_m.php

flosserelli

I was thinking along the same lines. But instead of overtly stealing phones, Verizon could simply text subscribers with “account notifications”, free offers, etc, which contain attachments or other garbage that is later detected as “malware”. This, in turn, convinces the subscriber that the service is valid and worthwhile. At least, if I was in charge of this service, thats how I would set it up. Muahahahaha

indiecognition

As it is, VZW is on a path to setting their customers up. My parents sometimes have hardware problems with their phones (for example Droid 2/3 devices that have keyboard letters that don’t work), and they bring them into the VZW store to try to get replacements. The “specialists” in the stores often install crap apps (crApps?) like task killers that are unnecessary in Gingerbread and other utilities…they don’t even set up the task killers to ignore important apps, which results in the task killers interrupting programs my parents use. The result is that the phones are even worse and buggier after the VZW people “fix” and “improve” them. Not to mention that the hardware keyboard or whatever is still broken.

It’d be a logical next step for them to just install something that behaves like malware, or a notifier like flosserelli mentioned, to trick people and compell them to buy their security apps like McAfee. McAfee lost because other companies do a better job, and often for free (Kaspersky, Microsoft Security Essentials, Avast, Lookout, etc.), and it’s a devious business move for Verizon to see a way to share a buck with McAfee through this partnership, at the expense of VZW subscribers.

Short_PC_Teacher

Verizon is going to charge me $24 a year for this same service that is already free?

Yes just like every other Verizon branded service. Oh and it won’t work as well as the free one either

me

Ha! The antivirus on my desktop computer gives me free Android protection if I download their app… Not to mention you get to use the free Assurion Mobile app if you have insurance with Verizon anyhow.(I don’t use that app either). Just more things to eat your battery.

Don’t forget the ridiculously high rating like all of the Verizon crapware. If you hunt through the fake 5 stars you see the few who actually have the app complaining of system response issues and massive battery drain.

summit1986

That’s because everyone who will rate it poorly knows better than to install VZW apps.

EC8CH

I need an app to protect me from VZW

PC_Tool

ROM Manager: There’s an App for that. 😉

derp

100% useless

Chad

Or just download Prey Anti-Theft and track 2 devices for free.

John

AndroidLost.

j__h

I have had issues getting my phone location when on wifi, seems the phone does not connect to google services…

John

Weird, never had that issue on any of my phones.
There could be a million reasons as to why that’s happening. ROM/LAN issues(doubtful but plausible)/mess with hosts file?/What phone/DIRTY flash a ROM?/etc..

j__h

This has happened with my Droid incredible (stock) and GNex (I did flash it dirty—> but it is just stock rooted and should not need to be cleaned)

I think most people do not let the phone sit idle then after say an hour test. It works usually when I am using it but If I do lose it then I am not going to be using it.

John

You should never complain about something not working if you flashed dirty. Come on man, you know better 😉

j__h

Ok, I am complaining about the Droid Incredible it was fully stock.

Same issue though on the Gnex, and I was using the same update that OTA uses, they do not wipe and from my understanding I do not have to either.

Edwin M

Who does Verizon think they are going to sucker in to purchasing this?

MikeCiggy

The same suckers who use vznavigator lol

Jason Brown

hahahahaha!

gorkon

The same who use their “backup” service.

Have a friend who got his phone setup by Best Buy and they used THAT instead of Gmail! I mean REALLY!

HankHill

Wait A Second, Verizon sold me some wonderful Beach Front property in Nevada, said it was cheap because the Government used to test on it but was perfectly safe, should I be worried?

TheWenger

Turn up the nav button transparency to 100% in ROM settings and it makes the nav buttons the same brightness as the stuff in the status bar.

SomeDooD123

wat

PC_Tool

…and the burn-in is lovely, isn’t it?

TheWenger

Now that you say it, I have noticed on full screen videos where the screen is slightly discolored, especially on white backgrounds, where the nav bar usually is. That seems kinda odd though since that are would be mostly black, i.e. pixels off.

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